Two-step flash sintering of ZnO: Fast densification with suppressed grain growth. (December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nie, Jiuyuan; Zhang, Yuanyao; Chan, Jonathan M.; Jiang, Sicong; Huang, Rongxia; Luo, Jian
• Is Part Of: Scripta materialia. Number 141(2017)
• Page Start: 6
• Page End: 9
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Subjects: Sintering -- Two-step sintering -- Flash sintering -- ZnO -- Microstructure control; Materials -- Periodicals; Metallurgy -- Periodicals; Metalen; Legeringen; Materiaalkunde; Metals, metalworking and machinery industries; Metals; Electronic journals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2017.07.015
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-6462

Abstract

Abstract: Two-step flash sintering (TSFS) was proposed as a new ceramic fabrication method to achieve fast densification with suppressed grain growth. Using ZnO as an examplar, ~ 96.5% of theoretical density was achieved using TSFS with a grain size of ~ 370 nm, representing a > 3 times reduction of the grain size in comparison with conventional (one-step) flash sintering. Moreover, TSFS achieved this result in a few minutes, > 200 times faster than that needed for conventional two-step sintering to obtain comparable results, thereby representing an opportunity for significant energy and cost savings. Graphical abstract: